Door template or jig



March 31, 1964 w. F. DALE 3,126,644

DOOR TEMPLATE OR JIG Filed June 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIEI'ZE- INVENTOR.

WILLIAM E DALE Hi5 A TTOENEYS March 31, 1964 w, L 3,126,644

DOOR TEMPLATE OR JIG Filed June 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE--5- INVENTOR.

WILLIAM F DALE H/S A TTORNEVS United States Patent Office 3,l2fi,fil4

Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,126,644 5360K TEMPLATE OR HG William F. Dale, 72 Rockford Ave, Daly City, Calif. Filed June 5, 1963, $63. No. 235,668 7 Claims. (Cl. 33194) This invention relates in general to an adjustable door template or jig and more particularly to a device of this character which facilitates the shaping of edges and/or ends of a door to conform to the opening into which it is to fit.

A template for measuring the width, height and contours of a door jamb opening is usually carried to the construction .site where the measurements are taken, and the template is then use-d as a jig or guide for a cutting tool. The resultant door fits the jamb opening accurately. On a job where a large number of doors are to be fitted, all of which may vary slightly in size, conventional procedures as just outlined are inconvenient as proper tools and, working conditions are seldom available on the job, while transporting the template from the job site to a shop is also difficult and time consuming.

Also, conventional door templates which have been available heretofore are of a relatively heavy construction since, in addition to a rectangular frame, they generally incorporate contour-measuring strips paralleling the sides of the frame. Hence, at least four members of about the height of a door are incorporated in such structures and must be transported to and from the jamb opening measured.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a template for a door jamb which, with minor modifications, can be used as a jig to guide a cutting tool.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a structure of the type aforementioned capable of recording the exact length, width and contour of a door jamb but which need not be used immediately as a jig since it is capable of multiple reuse to obtain information regarding a number of jamb openings before it is required to serve as a 1 Still another object of this invention is to provide a template and jig which permits the obtaining of information regarding a large number of door jamb openings, which information may then be stored conveniently and taken to a shop especially equipped and arranged for the cutting of doors.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a relatively lightweight template which may be fitted into door jarnb openings with greater facility than the structures available heretofore.

ther objects and advantages of this invention, if not specifically set forth, will become apparent during the course of the description which follows.

Generally, the template and jig of this invention departs from those which have been available heretofore in that only two upright rails are needed when the structure is used as a template, no further supporting members, neither additional side rails nor a heavy medial supporting structure, being required. Further, the structure of this invention incorporates means for recording on paper information regarding the exact width and contour of a number of door jambs, reflecting the setting of the template in each jamb opening. This information may be used at a later time to reset the template so that it may be used as a jig for the cutting of doors to fit each of the different sized and contoured openings measured.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the door template and jig of this invention, the left-hand portion of the figure showing its adaption for use as a jig and the right-hand portion of the figure showing its adaption for use as a template.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FEGURE 4 is an ern -arged fragmentary view of that portion of the apparatus circled in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View on line 55 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view on line 6 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters refer to like parts throughout, there is shown parallel side rails 10, conveniently of wood, which rails are notched on their upper surfaces to provide longitudinal track of about 2%. inches in width and which have metal straps 14- secured to the inner surfaces thereof and straps 16 secured to the outer surfaces thereof, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Both parallel frame member lit and straps l4 and 16 are drilled at spaced points along their length for receipt of marker rods 18, the outer end of each of which is threaded to receive the sleeve 28 supporting the marker finger 22. The finger may be riveted in the sleeve, as shown, or otherwise secured therein. Some means of lining the sleeve relative to the finger is desired so that at such time as it is required to remove a finger, the sleeve may simply be unscrewed from the end of the rod 18, carrying the finger along with it.

Each rod has fixed thereon a marker bar 24 supported by brackets 26. The bar 24 is slotted, as shown at 213 and 30, for reasons which will be explained hereinafter. Each bracket 26 has a collar about a rod if? and bracket 27 issecured to the threaded end thereof in such a fashion that the bars 24 cannot slide longitudinally of the rods 18.

Each of the side rails id is notched to provide receptacles for short lengths of channel 34 which are welded to inner side rails 14. Each channel is drilled for a rod 18 and loosely mounted about the rod is the cam 3% having ahandle 49. If the handle is moved counterclockwise, as seen in FIGURE 5, or upwardly, as seen in FIGURE 4, the lobe of the cam will no longer bear upon the U-shaped channel and the rod 1% will be free to slide horizontally while, as seen in FIGURE 5, when the handle is turned clockwise, the lobe of the cam will bear upon one surface of the =U-shaped channel, and will bind against the rod 18 and lock it against sliding movement.

The mechanism described immediately above permits fingers 22 to be moved individually into contact with vertical portions of a door jamb after the distance between the parallel rails llil has been adjusted so that the entire template just fits therebetween. To permit spacing of the side rails lll, L-shaped straps (50 and 52 at the top and 54.- and 6 at the bottom) are each provided which have flanges such as those designated 5% and as in FIG- URE 6. The flanges ride in notches such as notch 62 seen in FIGURE 6 of the blocks 64 and 66. Secured to each of the blocks 64 and 66 is an upright notched locking bar 63 supported by a strap 69. Each of the bars 55?, 52, 54 and 56 supports a yoke ill for a pivotally mounted locking lever 72. It may be seen that by releasing the locking levers by depressing one end of each, the bars 5%), 52, 54 and 56 are permitted to slide laterally of the supporting blocks so as to permit the side rails. lift to be moved toward or away from one another. Flange plates 74 are screwed in place with their edges slightly overlapping the edges of bars 50, 52, S4 and 5a to complement the action of the edges of straps 69.

An important feature of this invention permits a number of successive measurements of various sized door jambs all without any necessity for immediately transferring such measurements to individual doors or a necessity for using the template as a jig immediately after measurements are made of a single door jamb.

Brackets 80 are secured to the side rails 19 and through each pair is drilled holes for the receipt of a spindle S2 for a reel 3 which is adapted to hold paper tape. A strip of paper $5 thus may be stretched between the respective top and bottom reels to rest against the fiat surface of each upright frame member It).

The template may be raised to the proper height by means of a foot-operated jack, generally 92, at the base of the structure so that the head bars 96 which are held by turn screws 91 contact the top of the jamb to be measured. Fixed to the lower block 64 is a hollow tube 94 having a slot 96 at the front thereof through which extends rods 98 which secure the foot pedal lltltl to the plunger 1&2. Spring 1M bridges the distance to foot piece 136. As seen in FIGURE 1, the slot 96 is notched at 168. When the pedal lltltl is pushed toward the right, as seen in FIGURE 1, the rods 98 engage notches 1% so as to maintain pressure on the foot 106 through the spring N4. Floor gauge bars 11% are slideably mounted at either corner in U-shaped brackets 112. The bars lllt have right-angle flags 114 at their upper ends which extend over paper strips 86.

Both head gauge bar 116 and floor gauge bars 110 are inscribed with graduations and the former is similarly slideably mounted in one or more brackets 118.

As noted at the outset, FIGURE 1 shows a composite structure where the sleeves and fingers 2i) and 22 have been removed from the left-hand side of the template and these replaced with a flexible wood strip 126 secured thereto by means of brackets 122 (FIGURE 3) and held on the threaded ends of each of rods 13 by means of nuts 124 and 126. When the structure is being used as a template, the flexible wood strips would not be attached as shown in FTGURE 1, and when the template is being used as a jig to determine the shape and contour of a door, the sleeves 26 and fingers 22 at the right of the structure of FIGURE 1 would also be removed and replaced with a corresponding second flexible wood strip 126.

In use, the fingers 22 are attached to both sides of the ends of rods 18. A roll of paper is attached to either bottom paper reel 84-, led along a side frame member 10, passed under a flag 114, and attached to a top paper reel 84. The head bars 90 are adjusted in length by use of screws 91 to approximately center the template in the door opening to be measured. The slide locking levers 72 are placed in the appropriate notches of the locking bars 68 to adjust the template to about one inch under the width of the'door jamb. Each of the foregoing steps need be performed only once for measuring a number of jambs of approximately equal size, and only the adjustment of the head bars and manipulation of the slide locking lever 72 need be made irrespective of the number of openings to be measured within, of course, the limitation imposed by the maximum quantity of paper which can be carried by the lowermost reels 84-.

The template is now placed in an opening to be measured and the pedal 1% depressed until foot 186 rests on the floor. The spring we is thus compressed and the pedal is turned toward the right, as seen in FIGURE 1, so that the rod-shaped brackets 98 are engaged with the notches 1% of the hollow tube 94. The spring thus urges the template up until both head bars 90 engage the top of the opening. Because this entire operation is performed with the operators foot, both hands are free to guide the template into position. Provision of a substantial number of notches in the hollow shaft 94 permits adjustment to openings of various heights.

With the template held in place in the door jamb, each of the rods 18 is adjusted to cause the tip of a finger 22 to contact a vertical surface of the door jamb. A mark l is then made on the paper strip through the vertical slot 28 which appears over the paper strip 86. Each paper tape is then marked with the identifying number of the jarnb measured. Floor gauge bars 110 are then lowered to contact the floor and a horizontal line drawn along the tops of the flags 114.

The head gauge bar 116 is then pressed against the head of the jamb and a reading from the graduated marks on the bar is noted on the tape near one of the identification numbers for the jamb. Any bow in the top of the jamb is thus noted. The height, width and contour of the jamb opening have now been recorded on two tapes.

The rods 98 are released from the notches M8 by depressing the pedal 10% and swinging it to the left, as seen in FIGURE 1, and the template is released from the jamb.

The paper tape is now rolled onto the top reel for a distance of approximately four inches, and the cycle repeated, thus making possible the recording of approximately 510 jambs without changing standard-sized paper tape rolls. All jamb sizes having been thus recorded, the template is taken to where the cutting and fitting of the doors is to be done.

As a first step, the sleeves 20 are unscrewed from the ends of rods 18 and the flexible wood guides 12% attached to either side of the template, as at the left in FIGURE 1. Each flexible guide 120 extends Mi inch less from its side rail 10 than fingers 22. This permits the template to be adjusted by means of nuts 124 and 125 so that the door may be cut undersize to allow for any desired clearance between the door and the jamb. The paper tapes from the top reels are now reconnected with the bottom reels. The door to be fitted is placed fiat and the jig placed thereover. The horizontal mark made on each tape above one of the bars 24 is now realigned with the same bar and the locking levers 72 placed in the same notches, as noted on the tape, of the locking bar 68 which they occupied when the jig was used as a template. Each bar 24 is then moved out until the vertical slot in the bar registers with the vertical mark previously made on the tape. The horizontal slots 30 facilitate alignment. The rods 18 are then locked in place by swinging the handles 4a to the position shown in FIGURE 5 so that the lobe of cam 38 bears against one side of the U- shaped channel 34 and the cam binds against the rod 1.8, holding the rod in place.

The jig is now aligned on the door with the head bars even with the top of the door and the flexible guides 120 inside the edges of the door. The jig is clamped to the door and the head gauge bar 116 adjusted to the position noted on the tape. The head of the door is marked for cutting, if necessary.

Lower gauge bars are moved to the positions marked on the tape and the graduations at the bottom of each bar 110 permit provision for the clearance desired above the floor.

The electric plane used is equipped with steps which provide clearance between the cutter of the plane and the flexible guides upon which the stops ride. The top and bottom of the door may be trimmed in any suitable fashion using the previously made marks for guidance.

It will be seen from the foregoing that use of the device of this invention permits cutting of doors to be done under ideal conditions and eliminates many of the problems usually encountered when one attempts to use a template as a jig at the site where the door is to be installed or finds it necessary to transform the template into a jig immediately after a single set of measurements has been taken.

Obviously, many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

Cit

I claim:

1. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(12) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame. members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

(c) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means operatively associated with each of said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods; said means comprising a bar secured to each of said rods, each of said bars partially bridging one of said elongated frame members; and

(e) a pair of reels, one at either end of each of the said elongated frame members, each of said reels being adapted for holding paper tape in roll form whereby to provide means for extending a length of paper tape between the said reels and adjacent the said transverse rods whereby to provide a surface upon which the position of each of said rods relative to the said elongated frame members may be noted.

2. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

() a plurality of laterally slidable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means operatively associated with each of said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means consisting of a bar secured at either end thereof to each of the said rods bridging one of said elongated frame members, each of the said bars having a slot therein running perpendicular to the said rods; and

(e) means for positioning a moveable writing surface extending between the two ends of each elongated frame member so as to provide a surface upon which vertical marks may be made reflecting the position of each of the said rods relative to the said elongated frame members.

3. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationp;

(0) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means operatively associated with each of said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means consisting of a bar secured at either end thereof to each of the said rods bridging one of said elongated frame members, each of the said bars having a slot therein running perpendicular to the said rods; and

(e) a pair of reels, one at either end of each of the said elongated frame members, each of said reels being adapted for holding paper tape in roll form whereby to provide means for extending a length of paper tape between the said reels and adjacent the said transverse rods whereby to provide a surface upon which the position of each of said rods relative to the said elongated frame members may be noted.

4. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

(c) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means for positioning a moveable writing surface extending between the two ends of each elongated frame member so as to provide a surface upon which marks may be made reflecting the position of each of the said rods relative to the said elongated frame members;

(e) means for moving said writing surface longitudinally of said parallel elongated frame members to present a new writing surface; and

(1) means operatively associated with each of the said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means comprising a bar secured to each of the said rods and laterally moveable therewith, said bar at least partially bridging said writing surface in close proximity thereto to provide a guide for marking on said writing surface.

5. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

(c) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) a pair of reels, one at either end of each of the said elongated frame members, each of said reels being adapted for holding paper tape in roll form whereby to provide means for extending a length of paper tape between the said reels and adjacent the said transverse rods whereby to provide a surface upon which the position of each of said rods relative to the said elongated frame members may be noted; and

(e) means operatively associated with each of the said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means comprising a bar secured to each of the said rods and moveable therewith, said bar at least partially bridging said writing surface in close proximity thereto to provide a guide for marking on said writing surface.

6. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members; (b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

(c) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means for attaching a flexible elongated member generally paralleling each of said elongated frame members to the said transverse rods;

(e) a pair of reels, one at either end of each of the said elongated frame members, each of said reels being adapted for holding paper tape in roll form whereby to provide means for extending a length of paper tape between the said reels and adjacent the said transverse rods whereby to provide a surface upon which the position of each of said rols relative to the said elongated frame members may be noted;

and

(7) means operatively associated with each of the said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means comprising a bar secured to each of the said rods and laterally moveable therewith, said bar at least partially bridging said writing surface in close proximity thereto to provide a guide for marking on said writing surface.

7. In a template for determining the width and contour of the upright portions of a door jamb, the improvements comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, elongated frame members;

(b) means connecting said frame members for holding said frame members in a spaced, parallel relationship;

(c) a plurality of laterally slideable rods mounted transversely on each of said parallel, elongated frame members, said rods having tips normally extending beyond the outermost edges of each of said elongated frame members;

(d) means for positioning a moveable writing surface extending between the two ends of each elongated frame member so as to provide a surface upon which marks may be made reflecting the position of each of the said rods relative to the said elongated frame members;

(e) means for moving said writing surface longitudinally of said parallel, elongated frame members to present a new writing surface;

(f) means operatively associated with each of the said rods for determining the extent to which each of said rods has been moved laterally relative to the said elongated frame members supporting the said rods, said means comprising a bar secured to each of the said rods and laterally moveable therewith, said bar at least partially bridging said writing surface in close proximity thereto to provide a guide for marking on said writing surface; and

(g) means at either lower corner of the said template for contacting the floor when the said door jamb is raised to its maximum height in a door jamb, said means having a horizontal extension thereon extending over the surface of the said writing surface whereby to permit a notation to be made on the said tape indicating the distance of the floor from the lower corners of the said template.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A TEMPLATE FOR DETERMINING THE WIDTH AND CONTOUR OF THE UPRIGHT PORTIONS OF A DOOR JAMB, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF PARALLEL, ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS; (B) MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRAME MEMBERS FOR HOLDING SAID FRAME MEMBERS IN A SPACED, PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP; (C) A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SLIDEABLE RODS MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY ON EACH OF SAID PARALLEL, ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS, SAID RODS HAVING TIPS NORMALLY EXTENDING BEYOND THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF EACH OF SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS; (D) MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID RODS FOR DETERMINING THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH OF SAID RODS HAS BEEN MOVED LATERALLY RELATIVE TO THE SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS SUPPORTING THE SAID RODS; SAID MEANS COMPRISING A BAR SECURED TO EACH OF SAID RODS, EACH OF SAID BARS PARTIALLY BRIDGING ONE OF SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS; AND (E) A PAIR OF REELS, ONE AT EITHER END OF EACH OF THE SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID REELS BEING ADAPTED FOR HOLDING PAPER TAPE IN ROLL FORM WHEREBY TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR EXTENDING A LENGTH OF PAPER TAPE BETWEEN THE SAID REELS AND ADJACENT THE SAID TRANSVERSE RODS WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A SURFACE UPON WHICH THE POSITION OF EACH OF SAID RODS RELATIVE TO THE SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS MAY BE NOTED. 